TIMING IS everything. For Paul Hartley, it just might be perfect. The midfielder is enjoying the best form of his Celtic career. In recent months he appears to have rediscovered his old zip and it should be enough to fasten him to the club he loves for the foreseeable future.
The 32-year-old's length of stay with Gordon Strachan's side will not be up for debate should he play a certain number of games in the next six months. If his first-team involvement continues at its present level, then a one-year option will automat
ically be triggered – extending his stay beyond the two and a half years for which he signed when Celtic paid Hearts £1.1m in January 2007.
Hartley is coy about his future. There have been no discussions about a new contract, he says. He is "just enjoying every game" he plays and prepared to "wait and see" if that provides him the platform to remain with the champions. "From a personal point of view, there is no better place to play," he admits.
Hartley is more expansive about the nick he is currently in as he bids to notch up the outings to take him over the extension threshold, believed to be in the region of 50%. Presently, his ratio is around 85%.
"I've spoken to a few people and it's been the fittest I've ever been since I came to Celtic," he says. "It's working with the manager, and the training that we do. Thanks to both, I feel as good as I ever have."
Strachan has never made any bones about how good he feels having Hartley around, both as a player and personality. Not even obliquely has the midfielder questioned his rotating status, or being a square peg hammered into the round holes of full-back slots when emergencies have demanded. Hartley has grown into playing for the club when more glamorous signings such as Thomas Gravesen and Jiri Jarosik could not.
The Celtic manager's regard for one of his archetypal pros suggests that a one-year deal will be foisted upon Hartley even if game time alone was not to guarantee it. Yet, as long as he prolongs his stay at the club, the Scotland international cannot expect greater security than 12-month deals. Celtic do not table longer contract offers for players over 30. They had their finances burned with Alan Thompson and Paul Lambert. Neil Lennon, however, signed new deals in three consecutive summers to take him into his late 30s at the club. And Strachan's own playing experience also offers inspiration to Hartley.
"The manager played at the top until he was 40 and it shows what you can do if you look after yourself and stay injury free," he says. "My contract situation makes it a big six months for me. Avoiding injuries makes it more important."
Injury has worked in Hartley's favour so far this season. Marc Crosas was recruited in the summer as his natural heir in the holding midfield role. But a hamstring pull suffered by the Barcelona youngster two months ago provided an opening and the Hartley glimpsed since has seemed a less inhibited, more constructive performer.
He earned his Celtic spurs in last season's title run-in when grafting displays alongside Barry Robson were pivotal to the seven straight wins that claimed the title. In these winter months more Hartley craft has been evident, not least in two important strikes that have doubled his entire Celtic goal tally.
As with the team overall, Hartley could look back with regret at a European sortie that ended with a largely meaningless 2-0 home victory over Villarreal on Wednesday. His curious omission from the side that crumbled in Aalborg might have impacted on the club losing out on a UEFA Cup place.
"I didn't start every game but the manager makes decisions and I've been okay with that," he says. "The older you get the more enjoyable the big occasions and you try and relish any opportunities. The manager went with a system in certain games and you have to go with that. We can still take positives and when the Champions League starts again it won't hit us because we will be too busy concentrating on the league."
Hartley wants another tilt at the Champions League next autumn and he refuses to rule out the possibility of Shunsuke Nakamura, pining for a return home to Japan, being along for the ride.
"Playing alongside Naka you realise he's sheer quality," he says. "Who knows what will happen, he might stay? Everyone is saying he will leave but you never know, he might be persuaded to stay again."
Hartley took 30 years to get to Celtic. He will need no persuasion to stay as long as he is wanted.
